I will be at the Beijing International Coin Exposition, this will be my first Chinese coin show. Is there anything that you can recommend for a European coin collector in Beijing or at the show? And will anybody be attending the show too? Would be happy to meet you guys there.

I will be at the show and would be happy to meet you. NGC will have a booth and that is a convenient place to rendezvous. The second or third days of the show should not be as hectic as the first.

Thoughts on the show: if you see a long line of people waiting that usually means some new coin is for sale. Bring cash.If you are looking for older coins to buy then there should be dealers with booths at the back, although this is not primarily a retail show.Last year, for the first time, tickets were not needed to enter. Hopefully that will be the arrangement this year.Enjoy the exhibits. All the Chinese coin mints will have special exhibits and many of the important people from those mints will be there, especially the first day.The China Numismatic Museum and the French Mint often put on spectacular exhibitions. Don't miss them.Don't load up on gold coins, or you may have difficulties with customs as you leave the country. A few ounces should be no problem. Silver has never posed any problem for me in any reasonable quantity.

In Beijing try to visit Madian, the main coin market. The address is: 万家马甸邮币卡市场西城区 黄寺大街23号(福丽特商业街南). It is just in walking distance (or a quick taxi ride) from the Deshengmen Gate which has the numismatic museum of the City of Beijing inside. I would not plan to go to Madian during the coin show as many shops will be closed.

I think that Pandaguy is a bit alarmist. China is, in general, a very safe country. I have travelled to quite a few places, including ones not frequented by Western tourists, and not had problems. In fact, I think China is one of the friendliest countries I have ever been to. Pickpockets exist, but I doubt you will encounter one. I never have, although Chinese friends have cautioned me about specific locations. What has happened a handful of times is that I have dropped or forgotten something (including my wallet) and had a stranger alert me, or come chasing after me, to return it. Of course, be careful.

A good rule in any country is to never go anywhere at all with someone you don't know. Follow the rule, always.

Beijing is a fascinating city and the BICE is a show like no other. Have a great time.

Thank you so much for the great help ! I am so happy that some fortunate ocassion popped up for me to be able to go to Beijing, and I am already very excited. Will be interesting for me to see what kind of show the BICE actually is ... more of a numismatic amusement park style show (like the World Money Fair with the big mint presentations) or a traditional coin market show (like the Numismata in Germany).

Another big "thank you" for sharing your experiences on customs. For me it was quite complicated to understand the chinese customs rules. I read that 50 grams of precious metals are allowed to be exported and 5000 USD of cash or cash equivalent, but as far as I understand, bullion coins do not count as cash equivalent. That causes a bit of confusion and also concern that I might actually not be able to buy a lot of stuff there :-)

I would be very happy to meet you in Beijing, and also buy a copy of your Panda guide there ... if the book doesn't come to me, I come to the book ;-)

I have always had in mind that if I go to China again and buy coins I would try and ship them through the coin dealers we normally buy from online. I am sure they will ship the coins to you if you buy from them. They could ship some if not all the other coins you buy from others at a cost. I have done this in a matter of speaking but that was based on years of respectable interaction and business. I will discuss it with them before traveling to China.

There will always be bad elements in every country but the overall impression I have gained from a number of resources is that China is safer than most other countries. The Chinese seem to be inquisitive of foreigners and you could get into productive conversations if you are not wound up and snooty like many are when they travel overseas.

There are a few no go areas and topics. You don’t discuss politics, religion, Tianeman Square or Tibet. What you haven’t learnt about these before going to China you will not learn there. All you will succeed in doing is to upset sensitivities. If they bring up the topic just listen! From what I learnt the Chinese welcome international visitors and treat them well. But trying to talk about sensitive matters of custom and politics breaks the bond they have with you as their host and may elicit a nationalistic response.

Go in groups. Have an open mind. Don’t embarrass your hosts. Set up the stage for return visits if you would like to do that.

I don’t know how effective the surgical type mask you see people putting on is in filtering the air you breathe. They are not HEPA filters! The mask is not form fitting like the respiratory masks so you are still going to get polluted air from the gaps around the mask and from through the mask. A few days in China will not kill you. If you have asthma don’t go or take extra meds with you.

For me the best you get from a visit to China is spiritual but that can only happen if you open your mind and quietly assimilate your environment. If you go in biased you will leave just as ignorant or worse!

Thank you so much for your insights :-) For me, coin collecting has always been the trigger to see new countries, learn about new cultures and meet new friends around the world. But as this will be my first trip to China (I had been to Central Asian countries like Kyrgyztan and Kazakhstan before) , I was a bit unsure if there were special rules to follow, aside from the standard tourist advices that might apply to any place in the world.

So will anybody from the forum also attend the show in Beijing? Would be happy to meet some of you in person !